1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to shaped, self-supporting ceramic composites and to methods for producing the same. More particularly, this invention relates to shaped, self-supporting ceramic composites comprising a shaped preform infiltrated by a ceramic matrix; and to methods of making novel ceramic composites by infiltrating a shaped preform with a ceramic matrix by "growing" an oxidation reaction product from a parent metal precursor, which product embeds constituents of said preform thereby forming a composite having the geometry of said preform.
2. Description of Commonly Owned Patent Applications
The subject matter of this application is related to commonly owned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 819,397, filed Jan. 17, 1986, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 697,876, filed Feb. 4, 1985, both in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and both entitled "Composite Ceramic Articles and Methods of Making Same." These applications disclose a novel method for producing a self-supporting ceramic composite by growing an oxidation reaction product from a parent metal into a permeable mass of filler. The resulting composite, however, has no defined or predetermined geometry, shape, or configuration.
The method of growing a ceramic oxidation reaction product is disclosed generically in commonly owned to U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,360 which issued on Dec. 15, 1987 and was based on U.S. applications Ser. No. 818,943, filed Jan. 15, 1986, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 776,964, filed Sep. 17, 1985, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 705,787, filed Feb. 26, 1985, which was a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 591,392, filed Mar. 16, 1984, all in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Novel Ceramic Materials and Methods of Making the Same. This method using an oxidation phenomenon, which may be enhanced by the use of an alloyed dopant, affords self-supporting ceramic bodies grown as the oxidation reaction product from a precursor metal. This method was improved upon by the use of dopants applied to the surface of the precursor metal as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. application Ser. No. 822,999, filed Jan. 27, 1986, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 776,965, filed Sep. 17, 1985, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 747,788, filed Jun. 25, 1985, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 632,636, filed Jul. 20, 1984, entitled "Methods of Making Self-Supporting Ceramic Materials," all in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al. The entire disclosures of all of the foregoing Commonly Owned Patent Applications and Patent are expressly incorporated herein by reference.